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ARCHIVED OLD GOBBLER TURKEY HUNTING TEAM CONTESTS => 2023 OLD GOBBLER TURKEY HUNTING TEAM CONTEST => 2023 Killer B's => Topic started by: Mossyguy on March 15, 2023, 09:03:41 PM

Title: The morning hunt didn’t work..but…
Post by: Mossyguy on March 15, 2023, 09:03:41 PM
This afternoon did! My son and I went to this area this morning but the birds didn’t cooperate…saw a few hens but the gobblers were absent. I was upset because these birds had been here everyday for the last week and this morning they no-showed. He had to head back home around 2 so once he left I headed back to this area. My dad did have some luck on another property I scouted and he was able to take a nice 2 year old double beard.

The timber on this property had been thinned in October and I noticed some strut marks on the logging road going in a few days ago. I set up where I could see all the way down, which was about 250 yards, found a tree and settled in. I waited about 30 mins and let out a series of yelps. About 5 minutes later a hen walks out into the road about 60 yards away and begins fussing. We battled back and forth for a couple minutes before she lost interest and moved on. For the next hour I called off and on with no response.

At 5:15 at was thinking about where these birds could be when the two gobblers walked out into the road at about 100 yards. They appeared to be heading away from me so I let out a couple quick yelps. They both perked up, turned and started heading my way. I noticed one of the birds had a bad limp so I decided that I would try to take him if he gave me an opportunity. They’d walk a few yards, the boss bird would strut, and the limper would be a few steps behind him. It took them about 10 minutes but when they got to around 30 yards I cut twice. Both stuck their heads up and I folded the limper. The boss bird preceded to jump on mine for about 30 seconds and walked back into the timber.

When I got to my bird and picked him up I noticed he was really light. As I was cleaning him I found a few pieces of what looked to be #6 shot(I shoot 9’s) in his breast. I also found a couple in one of his legs so I imagine that was causing his limp. The bird weighed only 14 lbs.  I’m glad I was able to take this bird and hopefully the dominant one will go on to breed.

It’s supposed to be really cold these next few days so I think I’ll skip it and wait until next week and try to find some more.

(https://i.ibb.co/Z1dnJML/6-CAD0-E14-CBF5-4802-BF5-A-DC2-C18-A3-D9-E2.png) (https://ibb.co/Wpnb32x)

The road I shot him on
(https://i.ibb.co/S6KFkK8/67239-B54-5-BC1-4835-A694-DEEE1-DFC8102.jpg) (https://ibb.co/FhBRQBM)

Title: Re: The morning hunt didn’t work..but…
Post by: harleytom on March 15, 2023, 09:22:16 PM
Congrats! Nice story also


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Title: Re: The morning hunt didn’t work..but…
Post by: Yoder409 on March 15, 2023, 10:01:23 PM
CONGRATS !!!!!!!!!!!

GREAT story and BEAUTIFUL setting for a hunt !!!!

 :icon_thumright: :icon_thumright: :icon_thumright:
Title: Re: The morning hunt didn’t work..but…
Post by: zsully on March 15, 2023, 10:33:09 PM
Congrats Mossy! Way to get on the board! Great story too!
Title: Re: The morning hunt didn’t work..but…
Post by: JeffC on March 16, 2023, 08:03:56 AM
Great read, picture with Tom on log would be sooo much better if you Smiled. Congrats.
Title: Re: The morning hunt didn’t work..but…
Post by: twyatt on March 16, 2023, 08:16:20 AM
Awesome!!! Congrats!!!
Title: Re: The morning hunt didn’t work..but…
Post by: Delmar ODonnell on March 16, 2023, 10:34:04 AM
Congrats, Mossy! Glad you were able to give him a much quicker death than he probably would have otherwise suffered. Wonder if he was shot during youth season?
Title: Re: The morning hunt didn’t work..but…
Post by: Mossyguy on March 16, 2023, 10:48:10 AM
Congrats, Mossy! Glad you were able to give him a much quicker death than he probably would have otherwise suffered. Wonder if he was shot during youth season?

I was thinking about that last night. It was pretty healed over so I’m guessing either he was shot last year as a jake or someone tried to plug him during squirrel season. But you could tell it was affecting him by the way he walked and his weight. The last time I took one like that was almost 15 years ago in Kentucky and he’d been shot as well.
Title: Re: The morning hunt didn’t work..but…
Post by: POk3s on March 16, 2023, 04:51:26 PM
Very well done!
Title: Re: The morning hunt didn’t work..but…
Post by: Vintage on March 16, 2023, 05:28:54 PM
nice going. Congrats.
Title: Re: The morning hunt didn’t work..but…
Post by: Tom007 on March 16, 2023, 06:42:01 PM
Way to go my brother. Great story, great photos…..congrats!
Title: Re: The morning hunt didn’t work..but…
Post by: Paulmyr on March 18, 2023, 09:56:56 PM
I find 7.5 lead in birds while I'm cleaning them quite often. A product of public land opprotunistic poachers I'm guessing.
Title: Re: The morning hunt didn’t work..but…
Post by: a_jabbo on March 21, 2023, 01:03:58 AM
Heck yeah, Mossy!!! Congrats